This invention relates to a multi-pivotable tool carrier or clamp, particularly for mounting and manipulating at least two mating injection molds or dies for the manufacture of articles from plastics, such as foam expanded polyurethane.
A tool carrier of this general type is marketed by the German company Battenfeld Maschinenfabriken GmbH, under the tradename Type WK. In this known tool carrier an upper, second clamp plate is pivotably arranged opposite a lower, first clamp plate. A hydraulically activated piston-cylinder unit implements the pivotal movement; it is hinged at one end to a base plate and at the other end to the second clamp plate. With this drive unit the second clamp plate can be pivoted approximately 100.degree. from its position parallel to the first clamp plate to thereby open and close the tool carrier and the molds mounted on and between the clamp plates. By these measures the mold halves are easily accessible. If this tool carrier is used, for example, for expand polyurethane manufacturing, then the finished articles can be easily removed from the mold. In other words, after the separation and withdrawal of the upper half of the mold the articles can easily be removed from the lower half of the mold. This advantage is present to an equal degree when the carrier serves in holding other tools, for example when the products are formed between two mold halves by means other than plastic expansion, such as by die casting.
In this conventional tool carrier the pivotable second clamp plate is hinged to two beams which extend up at a right angle from the base plate. When the base plate is horizontal these beams thus stand vertical, and the opened second clamp plate is connected at the upper ends thereof. This conventional tool carrier thus has a significant vertical height when the mold halves are separated and opened, relative to the height of the carrier when the unit is closed, i.e. when both clamp plates lie parallel to each other. This constitutes a distinct disadvantage in that the ceiling height of the factory room must be taken into consideration in a limiting or restrictive sense, particularly when the pivotable second clamp plate has a large area base surface, which is often necessary or at least desirable. As a result this conventional tool carrier is only usable for relatively small molds in which small articles are formed, whereby no large parallel stroke is necessary between the two clamp plates.